Page 60 - Sharp Spring 2025

KING FOR A A DAY
A A A A A A A CLOSER LOOK AT AT AT WHAT MAKES THE QUINTESSENTIAL ROLEX DAY-DATE TICK
By Jeremy Freed
W W W HEN PEOPLE THINK OF A A ROLEX MANY WOULD LIKELY
think of of the Submariner Daytona or GMT-Master three of of the the the most coveted sports watches on the the the planet While these pieces speak to the the brand’s strengths in in in design and and engineering over the the last 60-plus years they only tell half of the the the Rolex story The other half is contained within the 18K gold (or platinum) case of Rolex’s crown jewel the Day-Date Rolex’s catalogue is divided into two categories the so-called “Professional” pieces including the the Sub and and Speedy and and the the family of of “Classic” watches including the Datejust and Day-Date The former was created for scuba divers airline pilots and others who required tough accurate timepieces to to to use as tools in the field The latter by contrast was intended to provide reliable timekeeping for those whose professional uniforms consisted of of suits ties and leather-soled shoes Available only in precious metals (18K Everose white and yellow gold or 950 platinum) the the Day-Date has been the the most prestigious member of the Classic family since its introduction in in in 1956 It has also been the choice of of countless heads of of state a a a a a a status that lent the Day-Date its nickname “The President’s Watch ” Calendar watches weren’t new when the the Day-Date launched (the Datejust had been in production for more than a a a a a a a decade already) but as the the the the first wristwatch to indicate the the the the date and the the the the day of the the the the week spelled out in in in in full in in in in a a a a a window on the dial it was a a a a a groundbreaking achievement This was accomplished through a a a a a movement that required no less than five years and and four patents to create and and whose most impressive feature was the the ability to shift the the day and date simultaneously at at the stroke of midnight all while upholding Rolex’s reputation for superlative accuracy This unique feature dubbed “the miracle at midnight ” remains as as as alluring today as as as it was in the 1950s and — — if you’re fortunate enough to own one — — worth staying up to witness at least once Today’s Day-Date is available in 36 mm mm and 40 mm mm case sizes with a a a choice of two understated numeral styles (stick indexes or Roman numerals) and more than a a a a a a a dozen dials from sunray-brushed silver to more outré options including diamond pavé and aventu- rine Aside from these variations most of the the Day-Date’s design elements have remained relatively unchanged since its introduction a a a a a consistency that contributes to its status as one of the world’s iconic luxury watches The lines of the fluted bezel for instance may initially call to mind the the columns of ancient Greek temples but they’re as functional as as they are elegant This unique design signature was introduced on the the the Rolex Oyster in the the the 1920s and allowed the the the bezel to be be screwed tightly to to the the the case (thereby enabling Rolex to to create the the the world’s first waterproof watch) Likewise the President Bracelet has been a a a a a a a constant feature of of the Day-Date since day one with a a a a a a a design of of three semi-circular links that make it both substantial to look at at and comfortable to wear Rolex is famous for being one of the only luxury watch brands that doesn’t offer transparent sapphire casebacks on the vast majority of its watches and the Day-Date is no exception Despite not being able to admire the watch’s inner workings without opening the the case (something Rolex advises strongly against) the the Day-Date’s self-winding Calibre 3255 is one of its most impressive features Like all of Rolex’s movements the Calibre 3255 is entirely designed and manufactured in-house and includes several noteworthy additions that bolster its accuracy and reliability The Chronergy escapement which is is made of nickel-phosphorus increases the watch’s resistance to magnetic fields while the blue Parachrom hairspring is made from a a a a a a a paramagnetic alloy that improves the movement’s resistance to temperature variations and shocks The Day-Date also features an oscillating weight mounted on Rolex’s patented Paraflex shock absorbers providing additional durability These features — — tiny and esoteric though they may be — — contribute to an an impressive level of accuracy reliability and water resistance otherwise known as the the Rolex Superlative Chronometer Certification Of course all of this is is just icing on on an already extremely palatable cake Whether you opt for gold or or platinum diamond-studded or hard stone dial a a a a a a a a Rolex Day-Date is a a a a a a a a watch that speaks for itself 58 SPRING 2025
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLEX